'We need the Piers Morgans
of this world more than ever.'
March 10th 2021.
I didn't buy Meghan Markles story. Very little of it rang true in my ears and I thought that as a journalist, Oprah Winfrey would make a good and sycophantic window cleaner. But then I'm no expert on matters Royal and have to leave judgments of this to others; judgments I will read with interest. Somehow, I can't see this support for Markle lasting very long.
However that's not what I'm on about today. There's another aspect of this which I find very disturbing. The next morning, Piers Morgan espoused his views in his inimitable way, and he too, didn't buy it. Shortly after that, he was out of a job.
If anyone had told me that come the ides of March I'd be penning a piece in support of Piers Morgan, I'd have laughed. I can hardly abide the man. His Catholicism aside, he sets new levels for self-opinion, self-promotion and naked, unabashed, aggressive arrogance. If ever someone enjoyed the sound of his own voice... etc. You get my drift, I'm sure.
He's not always wrong of course, but even when he's right, he delivery is such that it makes you want to 'give 'im a slap' as they say on my manor.
However that's the man's brand value. That's wot gets the ratings - as I'm sure ITV will learn to their cost.
Only now he's gone from GMB for doing exactly what he was paid to do; voicing his opinions forcefully and in contrast to the style of his long suffering co-host and foil, Susanna Reid. In an exchange with Alex 'y'know' Beresford, the, y'know, weather presenter, Morgan pointed out that Meghan Markle said that there was a decision taken by the palace to stop Archie being a prince based on his potential skin colour. This, he said, was simply untrue. It transpires that he is correct – it's all to do with protocol and rules laid down generations ago. He also pointed out that the damaging effect of that allegation, combined with the alleged and anonymous 'what colour will the baby be' comment is difficult to measure. 'Those two things have detonated a racially-charged bomb at the palace which is almost impossible for them to refute'. Again – he's clearly right about that, too. “That is now being believed by Americans on national television”.
Beresford wouldn't have it or accept the fact. He replied; “d'know what? It's their lived experience”.
This incensed Morgan somewhat. As indeed, it did me. It's as though facts and realities are somehow relegated to a status below that of an individual's perception. Beresford was pressed and would not accept the fact that the title was a matter of protocol, but went on to manoeuvre the conversation to say that Morgan continued to 'trash her' because he had a previous relationship with her and she 'cut you off'. This is to say that Morgan was not being governed by the merits or otherwise of the interview, but by a grudge because Markle had 'cut him off'. Morgan got up and walked off set which Beresford described as 'diabolical behaviour' and 'pathetic'. He conveniently overlooked the fact that he had done exactly the same thing in the same studio not as a result of his integrity being called into question, but after being teased about the weather because 'we all knew it was going to be hot' in June 2019.
A few hours later, and ITV issued a statement to the effect that Morgan had left. This was later described to be more about the points made over mental health, even though mental health didn't arise in the defining argument.
A friend forwarded me an email attributed to 'one of Britain's top QC's'. I have been unable to find out who this might be, but it's of no matter because its content sums up my thoughts on the matter to perfection. (The 57,000 referred to are those who signed on online petition.)
'If you happen to be speaking to Piers Morgan anytime soon,' it read, 'would you be good enough to make clear to him that 57,000 brainwashed idiots do not represent right-thinking people in this country?
As it happens, I agree wholeheartedly with everything Piers said on this particular topic but that is not the point.
'The views Piers expressed were legitimate and reasonable by reference to what was and what was not in the Winfrey interview.
'The idea that one is forbidden from holding and expressing those views simply because to do so involves doubting, however sincerely, allegations of racism or claims of mental illness is simply contemptible.
The inevitable consequence of such a prohibition is that so long as one complains of racism or mental illness one's word must be accepted without question… If people like Piers are driven out of public debate, there will be no debate.
'There will be no probing, no questioning, no proper analysis – only the self-appointed thought police who have commandeered the airways and the cowed, literally silent majority.
'I never thought to hear myself say this, but we need the Piers Morgans of this world more than ever.'
Quite.
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